Why do I glide? In getting the Segway, the decision was pretty much about rationalizing my desire for a new technology that was fun to ride. I was fascinated with the Segway, and I'm sure I enjoyed the endorphins that went with the big grin on my face too. That first night, while my Seg was on its initial recommended 12-hour charge, I can tell you I woke up more than once and had to interrupt that charge and take a little spin around the garage!

In making my purchase I went through the usual justifications: I'll save gas. I don't have to drive for the little errands. I'm helping the environment, etc etc. As it turns out, the Segway is doing just that and more!

After I got my Segway, I’d look for any opportunity to glide. It was so much more fun than using my car. After 2.5 years, it’s gotten to the point where I take care of the big errands on my way home from work, and save the little things for my trusty Segway. I just don’t use my car for those short trips anymore.

Looking back and doing a little figuring, here's what I found out:

I use my Segway an average of about five miles a day during the week, and over 20 miles on the weekends. So, by using my Seg instead of my car, I'm NOT buying about 100 gallons of gas per year! And, by the way, that also comes out to about 2000 pounds of C02 that I'm NOT pumping into the air each year. That puts a smile on my face.

I’ve even been able to take advantage of the Segway’s intended first mile/last mile design. I’ll ride my Seg a couple miles to the train station, and take a relaxed 45-minute trip to Union Station, then glide seven or eight blocks to my customer. And my “Segway smile” gets even bigger when I see that I don’t have to pay 35 bucks for parking.

OK, enough of the rational reasons for why I glide; here are some fun reasons for being a part of the Segway experience:  I’m out getting fresh air; I can actually stop and smell the roses. I don’t have to fight the multitudes of cars jockeying for parking in front of my favorite coffee shop; I’ll just glide right in. I get to laugh as I pass gas stations, knowing that my energy consumption equates to something like 450 miles per gallon.  And the part about being in the fresh air? It’s great! I’m out of my car, I’m back in the community, and I’m actually talking to people! The Segway is a huge conversation magnet. Because of my Segway smile, I’m probably even that much more approachable. I’m connecting with folks in my neighborhood as I never did before. I get to stop and chat, and people are no longer nameless faces but personalities that make my neighborhood more than just streets on a map.

Using my Segway has so many benefits that it’d be difficult to list them all here. I just have fun using it, and for me, the economic and ecological benefits are just another reason to keep on using it.

Aside from having fun using my Segway, playing with it is a blast! I don’t mean just taking it out for an evening roll after dinner, or gliding just to glide ... I mean REALLY playing with it, as in Segway polo! Playing Segway polo is the ultimate expression of fun on a Segway. If you ever get the chance to try it, go for it! Being part of a pick-up game is hilarious fun. If you need to give your Segway smile a boost, this is definitely the way to do it. It’s as easy as rocking back and forth a few feet to protect the goal, or you can charge across the field at a rollicking 12.5 mph!

I'm David Sie from Orange, California, and that's why I glide.

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